Travel itinerary suggestions?
 

My wife and I will be spending 12 days in Europe early in September, starting in Franfurt and departing from Munich. We'd love to partake of the wine country and sample German wines (her favorite!) and are looking for suggestions on "shouldn't miss!" cities, towns, sites.... I've spent time (work related) in Nuremburg but never in Munich, Rhine, Black forest areas which are considerations right now. Any suggestions? Hotels?

The Alsace foothills (the route des vins) and the foothills on the opposite side near Freiburg and to the south are known for their wines. The wines around Freiburg are generally light (9 to 10% alcohol) and don't travel well. So enjoy them while you're there. There is a great wine stube in Munich in a hall of the downtown palace. There you can taste dozens of German wines by the glass--but don't drive afterwards.

Guten Ahbend,
Wow, we did something similar in Sept '02.
Fly into FRA, lease a MB C180K, spend the first night @ Hot. Jagdschloss Niederwald just above Rudesheim after touring the Rheingau (be sure to taste Dr R.Weil's expensive Rieslings), drive the Rheintal and Moseltal, see the Dom in Koln, the Castle Burg Eltz just W of Koblenz, taste the Mittelrhein Rieslings esp Toni Jost in Bacharach. There are many great places to stay on the Mosel and in the Eifel Mts..
Don't miss the Route de Vins in Alsace - the Vill of Riquewhir is my fav place on earth (Hot. l'Oriel and the amazing Sarment d'Or restaurant).
My fav German wines are the Franken in their silly Bochsbeutelen. Those are readily available in Rothenburg - Hot Burg there is great.
We like the Hot. Gasthaus Backmulde in the old part of Heidelberg - my friend was born a couple of blocks away in '52.
Bavaria is great, but the the trip is long and few wines there - the Bavarians are my fav Germans despite my Alsatian French and Paternal GM's Karlsruhe roots.
Enjoy!
M

Two years ago we spent 3 weeks in a cottage in the Mosel valley and enjoyed tasting all the wines available. I strongly suggest you purchase "Touring in Wine country - The Mosel and Rheingau" edited by Hugh Johnston and published by Mitchell Beazley. Should be available on Amazon. It was our bible and not only highlighted the best vineyards, but also the best restaurants and inns. They also publish a guide to Bavarian wine country which should include Franken wines. Despite my love of Mosel wines, I agree with mikemo - Franken wines remain my favorite. Do try to get to the Wurzburg area and have a "bocksbeutel" on me!

Not too far from Frankfurt, the Mosel River Valley is tops for wine, castles, peaceful villages and scenery. Wine tasting signs are everywhere. Look no further!

Might be helpful to add an itinerary to my above. From Frankfurt via Rudesheim, cross Rhein by ferry from Lorch and drive Koblenz where turn off to follow Mosel. Sample the villages, also Burg Eltz & Cochem if interested. Return across country from Bernkastel-Kues or Zell (depending on how far along Mosel you get), through Kappel, Simmern and Rheinbollen to Bacharach. Well worth a stop - dinner or overnight. Next day carry on down through Bingen to Alsace, another excellent and scenic wine area.